Kings sign Kaliyev, OHL most outstanding player finalist

Arthur Kaliyev, a finalist for the Red Tilson Trophy as most outstanding player in the Ontario Hockey League, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.

The forward, a second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2019 NHL Draft, led Hamilton in scoring this season and was fifth in the OHL with 98 points (44 goals, 54 assists) in 57 games. The 18-year-old won the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the top-scoring right wing in the OHL.

He also had six points (four goals, two assists) in five games for the United States at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. His four goals tied center Shane Pinto (Ottawa Senators) for the U.S. lead.

In 2018-19, Kaliyev had 102 points (51 goals, 51 assists), the most among first-time NHL draft-eligible players in the OHL. He became the 13th player in OHL history with a 50-goal season as a 17-year-old.

The Kings also signed defenseman Jordan Spence, a fourth-round pick (No. 95) in the 2019 NHL Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old had 52 points (nine goals, 43 assists) and a plus-49 rating in 60 games with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season and won the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the league's top defenseman.